Zambia’s Red Arrows suffered a 2-0 defeat against TP Mazembe in the CAF Champions League preliminary second round first leg match played at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
The Airmen started strongly, controlling most of the game especially in the first half and even managing to score, but the goal was ruled offside, denying them a crucial early advantage.
After that, TP Mazembe found their rhythm and began to take control of the match. Their experience in continental football was evident as they gradually shifted the momentum in their favour.
The deadlock was broken in the 66th minute when Oscar Tshikomb struck to give Mazembe the lead. His goal changed the dynamics of the game putting Red Arrows on the back foot.
The Zambian side tried to rally with several moments of play and at goal but TP Mazembe stayed composed and Ngimbi Mercey delivered a second blow in the 78th minute with a speculative shot that shockingly went in to sink Red Arrows’ hopes of a comeback.
TP Mazembe’s performance in the second half gave them a significant advantage but Red Arrows now know they have nothing to defend and will need to push for goals if they are to overturn the deficit.
The Zambian side will need to be more clinical in front of goal and maintain composure throughout the match. The offside goal in the first leg shows they can find the net but this time they will need to do so while avoiding errors and breaking through Mazembe’s solid but beatable defence.
And Coach Chisi Mbewe was bitter about the loss and said in a post match interview that his team played all the football but the ball could not just cross the line into the Mazembe net.
His opposite, the TP Mazembe Coach Lamine Ndiaye admitted that his team did not play too well but assured of working on the short coming to improve their performance in next game.
Now Chisi Mbewe has the second leg and will undoubtedly be emphasising on the importance of a quick goal to unsettle Mazembe and put pressure on the Congolese giants.
With a 2-0 defeat at home in the first leg, Red Arrows now face a monumental task and has no option but to take the last and big fight right to Lubumbashi in front of their fans for the second leg in a week’s time.